Electrical instruction board



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 s y aw w m W W M 3 April 15, 1952 1.. DE FLOREZ ET AL ELECTRICAL INSTRUCTION BOARD Filed Oct. 4, 1944 April 15, 1952 L. DE FLOREZ ETAL ELECTRICAL INSTRUCTION BOARD 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1944 0226a; de

Patented Apr. 15, 1952 ELECTRICAL INSTRUCTION BOARD Luis De Florez, United States Navy, and David K. Morrison, Arlington, Va.

Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,210

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in educational and training device to be used in the training of electrical students and apprentices to construct electrical circuits, and to familarize them with standard electrical symbols employed in wiring diagrams.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device which will enable electrical students and apprentices to construct electrical circuits and to take different readings thereon after the circuit has been constructed in accordance with a wiring diagram.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which teaches the construction of an electrical circuit by the sight method.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention wherein is shown a circuit partiall constructed in accordance with a wiring diagram depicted on a template positioned upon the training device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cabinet forming a part of the invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail perspective views of two of the electrical circuit constructing units.

Referring to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Figure 1, the reference numeral l indicates generally our improved training device and comprises a shallow rectangular cabinet il, a series of templates or lesson sheets 12 (one of which is illustrated in position upon the cabinet and others stored therein) and several interchangeable electrical circuit constructing units, namely, connectors, crossovers, switches, lamps and resistors l3ll, respectively, and as shown, the units l3, l4, l and I5 have been employed in partially constructing the circuit and the unit ll along with others are stored within the cabinet.

The cabinet II comprises a top 18, a bottom l9, side rails 29 and 2 I, an end rail 22 and partitions 23, 24 and 25. The partitions 23, 24 and 25 divide the intervening space between the top I 8, bottom l9, side rails 23 and 2| and the end rail 22 into compartments 26, 21 and 28. A drawer 29 is slidably fitted within the compartment 26 and provides ample storage space for the safekeeping cf the aforementioned templates l2 when not in use. The top l8 of the cabinet H is cut away as at 30 and 3| immediately above the compartments 2! and 28 to provide openings into which are fitted a detachable cover 32 and a panel 33 respectively. The detachable cover 32 permits access to the compartment 21 wherein are stored the interchangeable electrical circuit constructing units l3l1 which will be more'fully described in detail as the description proceeds. The panel 33 is of any suitable insulating material and has affixed thereto the necessary standard electrical testing apparatus employed in testing and taking readings on electrical circuits. The circuit connecting the several elements of the testing apparatus is made on the undersurface of the panel 33, thereby confining the circuit within the compartment 28 after the panel 33 has been secured in place and protects the same from becoming damaged or short circuited by tools or other implements inadvertently placed thereon; which would be the case should the circuit be exposed.

To that portion of the top l8 between the cut out portions 30 and 3| are aflixed a pair of bus bars B provided at their opposite ends with terminals T and T. To the terminals T are attached the conductors leading from a source of electrical current and to the terminals T ar attached conductors l3 completing the built up electrical circuit.

To the major portion A of the top l8 and arranged in equidistant rows are secured washers 34 by means of headed studs 35, the heads 36 of which project above the washers 34 and provide means to which are attached the interchangeable electrical circuit constructing units.

The templates 12 are provided with perforations 31 arranged for registration with and to snugly fit the washers 34, thereby permitting the heads 36 of the studs 35 to project therethrough and to frictionally hold the templates in place upon the surface A of the top l8 of the cabinet. It should be clearly understood that each of the templates I2 making up a complete course in electrical wiring are perforated to correspond with the arrangement of the studs 35, so that any one of such templates bearing difierent wiring diagrams may be applied to the top l8. As illustrated in Figure 1, the template [2 has depicted thereon a wiring diagram 38 which, as shown, interconnects only certain of the perforations 31.

Referring now to the electrical circuit constructing units l3-l1 which form an important part of our invention, the unit [3, here designated a conductor, simulates a wire or cable and is therefore employed as such in constructing a circuit in connection with the training device,

andcomprises eyelets its, the inner ends of which are secured by welding, brazing or soldering to an intermediate resilient spring 13b. The presence of the resilient spring l-ib intermediate the eyelets 13a of the conductor will maintain it under tension when it is slightly stretched for its eyelets to bridge the distance between adjacent studs 35. The unit id, designated a crossover conductor, is employed when it is desired to bridge one or more of the studs 35 and comprises eyelets Ida and a spring Mb, one of the eyelets Ma is of greater length than the other and is provided with a bowed portion Me adapted to clear the stud over which the, conductor passes.

The unit 15, designated a switch, comprises eyelets l5a, spring 15?) and a switch member I50. The unit 16, designated a lamp, comprises eyelets 16a, spring H51) and an incandescent lampltc and the unit ll, designated a resistor, comprises eyelets Ila, spring lib and a resistance coil llc.

Operation A template [2 bearing the desired wiringdiagram is selected by the student from the series of templates and is positioned upon the surface A of the cabinet 1 l. The student now selects from the electrical units 13-! l the unit corresponding to the electrical symbol contained in thewiring diagram depicted between two adjacent studs 35 and applies the same thereto. This procedure is continued until the superposed electrical units completely obliterate the wiring diagram. The built up circuit is then connected to the terminals T thereby completing the circuit to the source of electrical energy. With all switches, contained in the circuit closed and providing the student has correctlyfollowed instructions and his selection of electrical units is correct the incandescent lights |6 should glow.

ts will be apparent from Figure 1 of the draw ings, test leads are provided for obtaining indications from the meter 1\ of the testing apparatus. The test leads, as shown, are applied across one of the incandescent lamps presumably to measure the voltage drop.

Thus far the invention has been described and illustrated as a device for training electrical studentsand' apprentices in reading electrical wiring diagrams and to construct electrical circuits in accordance therewith. However, it will become apparent from the foregoing description when taken in conjunction with the drawings that the invention could be employed as a training device for children in teaching them to construct geometrical designs and to identify and match colors.

These and other variations of the invention will be apparent to. those skilled in the art as falling within the scope of the invent-ion as defined by the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What we claim is:

1. Portable electrical educational apparatus of the character disclosed comprising, in combination, thin rectangular frame means having a substantially flat upper face member composed of non-conducting material, a plurality of studs of conductingmaterial' aifixed to said face member in; equally spaced parallel rows, the distance between studs in a row being the same as the distance between rows, a plurality of washers for said plurality of studs respectively, a template removably mounted upon said face member, said template having a plurality of openings therein corresponding in spacing to the disposition of the studs on said face member, said template being composed of non-conducting material, said openings being substantially similar in diameter to the washers whereby said washers snugly fit in said openings respectively and the template is prevented from substantial sliding movement on said face member, said template having means thereon forming an electrical circuit diagram, a plurality of circuit elements connected between at least some of said studs whereby an electrical circuit similar to that of the diagram on the templatev is formed, and means electrically connected to said circuit for energizing the circuit.

2.v Portable electrical educational apparatus of the character disclosed comprising, in combination, thin rectangular frame means having a substantially fiat upper face member composed of non-conducting material, a plurality of studs of conducting material afiixed to said. face member in equally spaced parallel rows, the distance between studs in a row being the same as the distance between rows, a plurality of washers for said plurality of studs respectively, a template removably mounted upon said face member, said template having a plurality of openings therein corresponding in spacing to the disposition of the studs on said face member, said template being composed of non-conducting material, said openings being substantially similar in diameter to the washers whereby said washers snugly fit in said openings respectively and the template is prevented from substantial sliding movement on said face member, said template having means thereon forming an electrical circuit diagram, a plurality of circuit elements. connected between at least some of said studs whereby an electrical circuit similar to that of the diagram. on the template is formed, means electrically connected to said circuit for energizing the circuit, and meter'means mounted upon said face member and having a pair 01' flexible connectors adapted to be detach ably connected to selected pairs of said studs to measure the circuit characteristics at selected points therein.

LUIS DE FLOREZ.

DAVID K. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 309,064: Kinch Dec. 9, 188% 343,164 Eller June 8, 1886 441,130 Brewer Nov. 25, 1890 1,073,670 Ford Sept. 23, 1913 1,271,541 Werwath July 9, 1918 1,629,635 Parsons May 24, 1927 1,647,276 Doman Nov. 1, 1927 1,895,068 Borroughs Jan. 24, 1933 1,968,039 Hornberger July 31, 1934 2,1 l0,563 Stern Dec. 20, 1938 2,390,706 Hearon Dec. 11, 1945 2,477,653 Roane Aug. 2, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 123,170 Great Britain 1919 202,983 Great Britain 1924 223,402 Great Britain 1924 344,668 Great Britain 1931 

